In a vehicle, a person's sitting position is very important, especially for the driver of the vehicle. People who travel in vehicles are confined to a small space, and are often in this space for extended periods of time. In order to provide the occupant with a better experience, it is desired to make the seat comfortable. One way of doing this, is to have the seat back lock into a plurality of angular positions with respect to the seat base, so that the occupant of the seat can adjust the seat back into a position that is most comfortable for the occupant.
Making the seat back of a vehicle seat selectively lockable into a plurality of angular positions involves meeting several safety requirements, especially with regard to behavior of the seat back during a vehicle crash. This is often accomplished by making the elements of the seat strong, which often causes the elements to be large and heavy. Alternately, it is desirable to make the assembly that reclines the vehicle seat small and lightweight so that there is more room in the vehicle for the occupant, and that the vehicle performs better, especially with regard to fuel consumption. It is also desirable to make the recliner assembly reliable so that the elements are not damaged by an occupant applying excessive force. Increasing reliability, also tends to make the elements of the assembly large and heavy, which is counter to providing more room for the occupant and increasing performance of the vehicle.